Blood and Ink
by sickoftakenpennames
Summary: Post-Conquest: After just barely managing to save himself and his allies from a horrifying fate in Outworld, Raiden is sent by the Shaolin Grandmaster to a mysterious monastery, where he just may have to endure more pain before he can truly heal from his experience. T for violence and brief sensuality.
1. Chapter 1

The dusky hues of twilight fell upon the valley as the sun dipped lower and lower behind the mountainous horizon; a man stumbled along the dirt path, swaying dangerously back and forth as he attempted to propel himself forward. He held his side, his abdomen wrapped in coarse wool strips that did nothing to alleviate the bleeding from his torso.

Trailing behind him were three other travelers, including a man and a woman, who relied on each other to prop themselves up as they attempted to keep up with their friend. Behind them the fourth trailed meekly, his gray, tattered robes matted with dirt and blood. His companions appeared to be just as bad, if not worse, for wear; the monk continued to support his red-headed female companion, who limped along pathetically as every step she took sent a jolt of numbing pain up her broken leg.

Finally, the man leading the pitiful procession managed to reach their destination, a large, circular portal with twin bronze lion statues guarding both sides, leading into a square courtyard from the street, which itself preceded the imposing cast-iron doors of the monastery.

"Siro," the woman called out, wheezing as her head dipped backward from the effort of calling out her friend's name. With barely enough time to react, Kung Lao managed to keep his weakened companion from falling out of his grasp, in turn losing some of the last bit of energy he himself still possessed. Unfortunately, her call went unanswered as the former bodyguard almost tripped his way up the stairs to the door. Upon reaching it, he hung onto one of the enormous brass knockers on the door, and with one final effort lifted it as high as he could. He let the cool metal slip from his grasp, crashing into the door and sending a cacophonous clanging throughout the monastery behind it as he collapsed into a heap at the foot of the entrance.

"Siro!" Kung Lao called out, willing but unable to attend to his friend as he struggled to keep Taja propped up on his shoulder, a battle he seemed about ready to lose. The robed man behind them bounded forward with a burst of unanticipated energy to tend to their fallen comrade on the temple steps. He reached Siro and pulled him back just as the gargantuan doors creaked open. A young monk looked on in bewilderment as he recognized the group of worn and beaten travelers.

"Grandmaster!" the young man called out, running back into the temple to fetch the head of the monastery. Siro's silver-haired companion continued in his efforts to bring the fighter back to his feet, and was still trying to awkwardly yank his friend upright as the younger monk returned with the grandmaster and assistant at his side.

"Thank heavens you have all returned!" the first monk cried out, oblivious to the fact that the group was obviously not as enthused regarding their arrival. "How did you manage to escape Outworld?"

"Sangmu!" the grandmaster's assistant admonished him as he walked past Siro and his helper to approach the pair behind them. "Now is not the time for questions! Can't you see they need medical attention? Help Grandmaster Fa take them in," he directed his junior as he provided support for Kung Lao and Taja.

Slightly ashamed, Sangmu nonetheless sprung into action and went to assist Siro. As soon as the bodyguard stood somewhat back on his feet, the youngest monk of the trio took him off the silver-haired man's hands, directing him slowly back into the warm hall of the temple. The headmaster's assistant likewise guided the champion and his companion to follow suit, leaving the grandmaster with the robed figure. The elder turned to look at the deity, studying the face that was several lifetimes older than his own, but yet seemed at least three decades younger. However, it did seem to have aged a bit from the last time he had encountered the thunder god, and the sallow bags under the latter's eyes, one of which was swollen and dark blue, and the cuts and bruises on his nose and lips hinted at struggles at the hands of Shao Kahn that the eldest monk didn't see fit to address at that point.

"Come, Lord Raiden," Grandmaster Fa urged the protector. "I can see you have been through much in your efforts to bring the champion and his friends back home. You deserve some rest."

The ancient monk began to make his way back into the temple before he noticed that Raiden was not following him. He turned back to look at his old friend, startled to see the dark, sullen countenance now etched into the god of thunder's expression.

"Lord Raiden," he began again. "You may come in."

Still standing right outside the doors, Raiden simply shook his head in response to the monk's invitation and kept his gaze directed at the ground. Although he did not let on, Grandmaster Fa could almost read the memories of torment he heavily suspected Raiden had endured in his time in Outworld. Whatever plan Raiden had managed to concoct and execute in order to save his, Kung Lao's, and their friends' lives had obviously taken its toll.

"Lord Raiden," Fa attempted one more time to grab the protector's attention. Not thinking, he reached out to the god, not anticipating Raiden's jerk one step back from his follower. Surprised and ashamed at provoking the deity, Fa drew his hand back and bowed in apology.

"Forgive me," he asked, standing back up. Raiden was silent, and the grandmaster believed he knew why.

"This is not your fault, my lord," he offered kindly. "You did everything within your power to save your friends. And you succeeded."

Raiden gave no response, instead letting his gaze emptily drift off to a spot somewhere to the elder's side. At this point, Fa couldn't be sure if the god was still listening to his disciple, his mind probably grappling with severe trauma. Regardless, he offered the only advice he could.

"I cannot imagine the adversity you have been forced to overcome since you ventured into Outworld," Fa continued softly. "I understand if you need some time to recuperate."

He didn't seem to be making any kind of impression on his catatonic friend, who simply let his head hang even lower, his tangled silver hair obscuring his face in place of his missing sedge hat. Knowing he was losing a steadily slipping Raiden, the head monk spoke quickly.

"Maybe we cannot serve you here at the present moment," Fa continued, careful not to raise his voice. "But I urge you to find some place or someone to tend to your wounds."

Fa thought he could see his friend's dulled gray eyes flicker up to look back at him, but he couldn't be sure.

"There is a woman living in the Ü-Tsang region, a bikkhuni by the name of Hui Chao," Fa continued while he was hopeful he had Raiden's wavering attention. "She is an old friend of mine. I know she will be able to help you. When you find her, accept her services."

A moment passed before Raiden turned his head ever so slightly in his friend's direction, although their eyes still did not meet. Grandmaster Fa watched the deity dip his head almost unnoticeably in agreement before the latter took a few cautious steps backward down the front steps of the monastery. Once at the base of the stairs, Raiden finally managed to look the elderly monk in the eye.

Even the clap of thunder that accompanied the bolt carrying the deity away sounded paltry and defeated.

* * *

A young woman held the reed of sage incense over the flame at the edge of the fire pit until the end was lit, placing the smoldering stick into the small vase at the foot of the gilded statue of a seated bodhisattva. She bowed her head and clasped her hands in prayer, murmuring soundlessly the citation custom for the offering. The orange glow of the pit dimly illuminated the shrine where she kneeled, but while the flame only offered glimpses of the saffron shades of her robe, the idol seemed to catch all of the light that was lost on the young woman, with the flickering flare from the coals bringing out a dormant spirit hiding within the statue, sending light bouncing back into all corners of the wooden and jade enclosure surrounding the shrine.

She heard the wind begin to pick up outside, threatening another blizzard. Upon paying her respects, the woman stood up, gathering her robes away from the flames and walking around to the side to pick up the bronze cauldron filled with water from the pit. She readjusted her robes with her free hand, bracing herself for the biting cold that awaited her outside the shrine.

She looked out to the road just outside the small structure adjacent to her monastery, expecting the light blue hues of early winter snow blanketing the untamed wilderness, but startled to make out the figure of a tall man standing motionlessly in the sea of white. How long he had been there, she couldn't be sure, but the small heaps of snow collecting on his shoulders were some indication of his patience. She was silent for a moment, instead clutching her robes more tightly as she tried to think of what to say to the worn-looking stranger.

"Can I help you?" she called out, wary but concerned for the man's haggard appearance, noticing that he didn't seem to realize or care about his surroundings.

"Is Hui Chao here?" he responded simply, although she wasn't sure she had seen his lips move. She was too focused on the fact that he seemed about ready to collapse. She feared giving him an answer, afraid that it was the only thing he seemed capable of waiting for before he keeled over.

"No," she replied, quickly adding, "But I will retrieve her for you. Come, come with me!"

Pulling some of her robes over her shaved head, the young priestess in training hurried over to the stranger, linking her arm in his and directing him next door to the main building of the monastery complex hurriedly before the cold had a chance to penetrate the little bit of her exposed skin. Although she was carrying quite a heavy pot of water, she struggled more with getting the man, a head and a half clearly taller than herself, to lumber along more quickly, although she took care not to force him any faster than he seemed capable of going. Finally they reached the foyer of the main temple, where the young woman helped him steadily onto his knees once it was clear he could go no farther. She placed the cauldron in front of him, allowing the steam from the water to rise up to his face where it could begin to thaw out the ice crystals that had settled on his eyebrows and nose.

When she saw the first bead of water drip from the tip of his nose, she hurried off to find her mentor. Raiden sat alone in the entrance hall of the temple for several minutes, closing his eyes and dipping his head forward over the basin, basking in the warmth of the steam. The heat slowly and steadily wore through his skin and clothing, drawing melted ice from the tips of the tendrils hanging from his face and darkening his hair and robes as the water began to set in and dampen his appearance.

He didn't know exactly how long it took the woman to return with another by her side, but entranced by the warmth of the cauldron, he initially didn't open his eyes to take a look at either one of them, only hearing the pattering of shuffling feet as one woman approached him quickly.

"Sir? Sir!" the young woman cried out, kneeling down next to their guest and gently shaking his shoulders until he awoke from his stupor. He came out of it gradually, struggling to lift his swollen eyelids, now even heavier with condensed steam. He looked at his attendee out of the corner of his eye, revealing to her irises tinted an empty, stormy grayish-blue.

"See, Master Hui Chao?" she called out to her teacher, still holding her comparatively tiny arms around his broad shoulders in an attempt to help him retain his warmth. "What should we do?"

"Lien Hua!" the older woman reprimanded her, causing the apprentice to sit up straight, her eyes widened. "Calm down. Step back."

Following her elder's orders without question, Lien Hua retracted her arms and stood up, taking a full step back from the stranger as her mentor had commanded. Hui Chao slowly approached the man on the floor, coming to a stop in front of him. Raiden could only see the hem of the older priestess' robe and her rudimentary sandals. She knelt down in front of him, bringing the rest of her into his view; he glanced up to find her scrutinizing him closely.

"Who sent you?" she asked briskly, continuing to observe their guest.

"Grandmaster Fa," Raiden replied meekly, his voice a husky shell of what it once was. He looked back at her, thinking that despite the severe lines set in the drooping skin around her eyes and mouth, she still didn't seem as old as he would have expected someone close to the Grandmaster to be. She, too, was bald like her student. She raised her almost nonexistent brows at his answer.

"Ah," she croaked, not really seeming too surprised by his answer. "It has been a while since he has sent anybody my way. Tell me, how is my old friend doing?"

Lien Hua furrowed her brow at her master, wondering why she was bothering the stranger with small talk when raspy wheezing could be heard coming from his mouth as the steam from the pot began to invade his airway.

"Master?" Lien Hua prodded the elder lightly, hoping to remind her of the situation's urgency. Hui Chao stared at her disciple with her cataract-riddled eyes, her mouth dangling slightly open, revealing more than a few missing teeth. After a moment, she shut her mouth and her eyes closed, dipping her head and returning her attention to the stranger in front of her.

"Come," she directed him bluntly, gesturing for Lien Hua to accompany her. "Let's get you fixed up, now."

She and her student lifted the man off the ground onto his feet, but not before Lien Hua grabbed the handle of the pot. Slowly but surely, they assisted him to and up the staircase.


	2. Chapter 2

He sat upon a straw mat in the middle of a dark room, the only light coming from a lamp directly in front of him. Draped around his shoulders was a heavy comforter, given to him to replace the tattered robes that had begun to soak in melted ice. Lien Hua, under Hui Chao's instruction, had given him the blanket, cleaned his face of the dirt that still stained it, and brushed the tangles out of his hair for him, tying it out of his face. He stared at the burning wick mindlessly, watching the flame dance back and forth until he heard somebody enter the room to his right. He listened to the old woman's shuffle, still watching the flame bounce around. He heard her set something down on the ground behind him, heard her groaning sigh as her arthritic knees fought her on her way down next to him. She brushed her robes off, massaging her sore joints as she looked at the silhouette of her guest's back.

"Did Fa tell you why he was sending you here?" she asked, patting her knees. She saw the man's head shaking 'no'.

"Ah, I see. Well, young man, I can assure you, it's not because he feels you need a vacation," she said, chuckling softly to herself. "Now I need your word that you trust me to do the job he sent you to me for, understand?"

She saw him nod tiredly. With that, she unraveled the bundle she had brought with her, revealing an array of needles laid out in order, along with a towel, an assortment of blocks of pigment and another block of a transparent, green gel-like substance. Hui Chao took the towel and dipped it in the cauldron Lien Hua left next to their guest, rubbing the damp part onto the green block. She yanked the blanket down to reveal his bruised and battered back, temporarily snapping him out of his flame-induced daze. He felt the rough fabric of the towel around his shoulder blades, the cool, smooth quality of the substance that smelled faintly of aloe.

"Just setting the canvas," he heard Hui Chao say, wondering if she even noticed the lacerations she was rubbing her towel over. He briefly contemplated the meaning of her words, not understanding until she set the towel down and picked up one of the needles.

Suddenly he felt the steel tip of one attempt to pierce into his left shoulder blade, right in a fresh bruise. He jerked upright, reflexively elbowing the air behind him, knocking the pointed tool out of the old priestess' hand.

"Aiee!" she cried out in startled annoyance. "You said you understood that I had a job to do! What's the big deal?"

For the first time, he turned to look at Hui Chao, resting his weight on his arm behind him. The blanket had fallen to his waist, allowing the light from the lamp to show Hui Chao all of his wounds. Stone-faced, she looked back up to him, noting the look of shame he wore for his outburst. She softened a little.

"May I try again?" she requested. Gingerly, he grabbed the edge of the blanket, pulling it back up to recover some of his modesty. He nodded, turning back around to face the lamp without a word.

Hui Chao paused before picking up the needle he knocked out of her hand. She cleaned it off again, this time more careful to put the tip on his shoulder gently.

She dug the point in, drawing the first drop of blood.

* * *

Lien Hua kneeled right outside the silk screen door, waiting for the moment Hui Chao would call on her to bring any other supplies. To her surprise, the screen door slid open much sooner than Lien Hua had anticipated. She rose to her feet immediately.

"You're done already?" she asked incredulously as her mentor slid the screen shut behind her.

"No," Hui Chao responded bluntly. "I've barely even started. And it doesn't look like I'll be making any progress."

At this she held up one of her needles, which Lien Hua squinted to see in the dim light of the lantern-illuminated hall. As her eyes adjusted, she noticed that the steel tip had broken off completely. Confused, Lien Hua looked back to her elder.

"What happened?" she asked Hui Chao.

"That is not a man in there, Lien," Hui Chao answered. "That is a god."

Lien Hua's mouth dropped open in shock. Her teacher, however, simply cleaned the needle off on her robe, as if she hadn't just revealed that there was a deity in their presence.

"W…What?" Lien Hua finally stammered in disbelief.

"You heard me," Hui Chao responded nonchalantly. "That is Raiden, the god of thunder and protector of Earthrealm. Didn't you notice the clouds following him here, Lien?"

The younger woman was silent, embarrassed that the thought had not occurred to her.

"Anyway, there's no way these needles are going to do the trick," Hui Chao continued. "I can only imagine what gave him those bruises."

Lien Hua paused, still trying to collect her thoughts, ignoring her master's casual indifference.

"So, what does that mean? We can't help him?" Lien asked the priestess, rotating in place to keep eye contact as the old woman walked around her student.

"Of course we can," Hui Chao answered gruffly. "His skin is simply too tense for the needle. Go make him some tea."

"Oh," Lien Hua exclaimed. "Yes, of course."

She gathered her robes, sprinting off in the other direction on her master's orders.

* * *

He heard the screen door slide open behind him, although he didn't see the point in turning around. The candle in the lamp continued to command his barely-there attention.

Lien Hua carefully balanced the teapot and cup on the tray she carried, apprehensive as she made her way over to the divinity sitting in front of the open lantern. She placed the tray down wordlessly, pausing nervously as she brushed off her robes, unsure of what to do. Although she made an effort to keep her gaze averted to the ground, she couldn't help herself from glancing up once. She only saw slivers of his profile, impressions of the hook of his nose, the prominence of his lips, hints of the front of his broad cheeks. A momentary flare from the candle illuminated the cuts on his lips, the bruise that extended from his temple to the inside of his nose, swelling his eye almost shut. A small portion was still visible, though; an empty gray iris that caught and mirrored the dancing orange of the candle. But even the reflection of the flame could not return the vitality to his gaze.

Catching herself staring at their guest, Lien Hua immediately pushed back from him, bending forward and touching her forehead to the ground in prostration.

"Don't bother," a low voice muttered pathetically. Lien Hua slowly raised her eyes until she could make out his profile once more. He hadn't moved.

Conflicted between doing what she thought was expected and obeying his wishes, Lien Hua conceded to the latter and straightened herself until she was kneeling upright once more. She rubbed her knees nervously. Timidly, she pushed the tray a little bit closer to him, assuming that he had not seen it.

"Please," she encouraged him, but careful to limit herself to as few words as possible. "Hui Chao's orders."

He gave no response. Finally, gaze still transfixed on the lantern, Raiden brought one of his hands out of the blanket and reached mechanically for the cup next to the pot. He tugged it towards him until it hit the raised edge of the tray. Then he was still.

Lien Hua looked from the cup back to him, puzzled. She waited for a moment to see if he would do anything else. The cup remained on the tray.

She crawled over to him, tentatively lifting the cup out of his hand and holding it under his nose, hoping that the scent would spur him to take a drink. Slowly, he brought his hand up to take it back from her, waiting for her to draw back before he brought it to his lips. He took a sip without another word.

She didn't know why she felt the need to make sure he kept it down, but she lingered for a moment until she saw him take another drink. She averted her stare to the straw mat beneath them.

The screen door slid open behind them. Only Lien turned to see Hui Chao standing expectantly in the entrance way, holding another bundle that presumably held a second set of needles.

Lien Hua hurriedly gathered herself, stood up and walked over to the priestess.

"He may need a few minutes," the younger woman mumbled. Hui Chao nodded.

"I'll take care of it from here," she told her student. "You may go."

Surprising herself, Lien Hua took one more look behind her to the weakened god sitting on the mat.

She silently made her departure.


	3. Chapter 3

Maybe an hour had passed by the time Lien Hua found herself back in the hallway outside where her mentor was working on her client. She didn't dare make any noise as she paced about, at attention for the moment her teacher needed any more materials.

Thunder rumbled outside the temple walls, stopping Lien in her place. Did she dare walk in unannounced to check on Hui Chao? Not that she felt the old bhikkhuni was in need of any protection. Maybe, she admitted to herself, she was just curious to see if their guest had anything to do with the weather outside of the monastery.

No sooner than he had popped into her mind did the door slide open once again. Hui Chao stepped out into the hallway, sliding the screen shut behind her.

"I brought my best needles out to do the job," the older woman lamented. "Solid bone. Capable of cutting clean through the toughest bark around. The big one's been reduced to nothing but a nub, now."

Lien Hua's eyes grew wide.

"Should… should I make more tea?" she asked weakly, but ignorant of any other suggestion she could possibly think of. Hui Chao scoffed in response.

"Pah, it's going to take much more than tea to fix this one," she spat out. "He has seen awful, horrific things. There is a burden on his shoulders heavier than any mortal man could possibly bear. The pressure has almost defeated him, made him small in his mind. He has drawn inward trying to shrink himself, so tense that his muscles may as well be made of stone."

Concern for their guest was written on Lien Hua's face.

"By the gods!" she exclaimed softly. "What can we do?"

"Nothing," Hui Chao responded. "But there is something you can do."

Lien Hua paused, confused.

"What would that be?" she asked hesitantly.

"You can offer him your company," Hui Chao stated simply. Lien Hua blinked twice, not sure she had heard her teacher correctly. But she didn't dare object to her master's orders directly, and so she took care in choosing her next words.

"My… my company?" she repeated, feeling as if her ribs were beginning to shrink around her heart.

"Yes. Whatever that may entail," Hui Chao said, looking her student in the eye to ensure the meaning in her words was clear.

"And… and break my vow?" Lien Hua replied, panicking and putting a hand to her chest. "Master Hui Chao, how could I possibly…"

"Listen closely, Lien," Hui Chao cut her off impatiently, lifting an ancient finger to her flustered pupil's face. "The act itself is not enough to draw someone away from the path to enlightenment. It is the desire behind it that has led to its participants' downfall. Do you desire our client?"

"No. No, no, no, not at all," Lien spat out quickly, recalling his battered face. Hui Chao studied her student, dropping her finger.

"Have I failed you yet, Lien?" she asked, her voice gentler this time. "Do you have faith that I would never lead you astray from the path you have chosen to seek?"

"Absolutely," Lien Hua responded immediately.

"Good," her teacher said. "Now in there is a man who has lost his path. Grandmaster Fa has sent him to us for a reason. But I will not force you to go in there if you feel you can't."

Hui Chao stopped there, staring at her student to let her know she was waiting for an answer. Lien Hua couldn't give one immediately. She didn't take the idea of breaking her vow lightly by any means, but she certainly didn't want to disobey the woman who had taken her in as her own and given her the life she had always wanted. Most of all, she didn't want to abandon the deity in his time of need.

"I'll… I'll go in there," she muttered quietly, bowing her head to Hui Chao.

"Very well," her mentor said. "Do what you must. If it makes you feel better, it may not come to that if you find another way to console him."

With that, the elder made her way out of the hall, leaving the young priestess-in-training to stare at the softly glowing screen in front of her. She hesitated for a long moment, taking a deep breath in an attempt to quell her nerves before reentering the divinity's presence.

She took a step forward, closing the gap between her and the screen, upon which she gingerly placed a hand for an instant longer than she anticipated. Finally, she slid it open, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness until she could see the outline of the person still sitting in exactly the same position next to the lantern as when she last saw him.

Worry began to brew alongside her apprehension as she closed the door behind her. She straightened her robes and walked over to him, careful to observe his state before taking further action. Now she could clearly see that even the candle had failed to retain his attention; he was hunched over, his eyelids slid shut, perhaps in an attempt at self-exile from the only thing keeping him out of total darkness. Some of his hair had fallen out of its makeshift band, further shielding him from any outside disturbance. The blanket hung limply around his elbows, revealing to Lien Hua some of the attempts Hui Chao had made with her needle. They looked laughably like sickly cat scratches, at best.

She could feel her heart wringing in her chest, saddened at the pathetic sight of the lowly and broken deity. She tried to think of something, anything within her power to lift his spirits. She saw the tray with the teapot and cup still on it off to his side. She couldn't tell how much he had taken, if he had taken any at all, but the set itself gave her an excuse to interact with something besides him in the environment, and so she bent over to push it out of the way, making room for herself next to their guest. She knelt beside him carefully, observing him for any sign of a reaction. Unfortunately, the low light in the room didn't reveal much in terms of motion.

Lien Hua swallowed down the knot in her throat. Just sitting next to the god was enough to set her on edge; something about his presence made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, although there was no obvious danger. Just the phantom sensation of his former power unnerved her, but Hui Chao had made her objective clear. And deep down, Lien Hua recognized the yearning she had to help others, the same one that had spurred her on early in life to try and reach enlightenment as a bhikhunni, hopeful that one day she would be able to guide others like Hui Chao had done for her.

She grabbed the cup off the tray, lukewarm to the touch. She picked up the pot and poured out fresh, hot tea until she could see the light reflecting from the liquid, the only indication it had been filled to its rim. She turned to him, holding the cup under his nose, hoping the aroma would stir him out of his dozing state. For a moment, it didn't seem to be working, but just as she contemplated withdrawing her hand and trying something else, she thought she could see his eyes begin to flutter open with some effort on his part, as if fighting the weight of his own lids. The rest of his expression remained remarkably static, but to Lien Hua any reaction was a sign of something working.

"Please," she prodded gently, holding the cup closer to his lips. "It will do you some good."

She couldn't be sure her words were having any impact as their client continued to stare at some unfixed spot in front of him with a glaze slowly seeping into his glare. Lien Hua pursed her lips, thinking about how she was to go about working up a solution if their client was no more responsive to her efforts than a mute.

Seeing no other option, she temporarily went against what her passive nature told her and simply pressed the cups to his lips. She didn't know exactly what she expected, but gasped nonetheless when he suddenly grabbed her wrist, so quickly she hadn't even seen his hand come up from the folds of the comforter. Frozen, Lien Hua tried not to tremble as she watched him break his fixation on the air to slowly leer at her from the corner of his swollen eye. For a fleeting instant, she feared for her life, sure that her gesture had reawakened some long dormant urge she imagined all gods had to smite those who acted against their wishes.

Before she could begin a prayer in her head, however, she felt his grip loosen from her hand. She watched him slowly bring his own over the cup she still held. He drew it out of her fingers, taking it and setting it down in front of him as he kept his gaze fixed on the young monk. His empty glare lingered on her for a moment, and she felt the nervous tingle revisit the back of her neck, as well as the hairs on her forearms. Soon, though, he appeared to lose interest in the young woman, returning his stare to the withering flame in front of him.

Lien Hua gulped again, still listening to her heart pound in her ears from the scare. She sat back up, not ready to try anything else that could potentially provoke the deity. But neither was she ready to go outside and face the wrath of Hui Chao.

She tugged at her robes, loosening some of the fabric so that she could turn comfortably in his direction. She knelt formally, resting on the balls of her feet.

"Lord Raiden," she began in a low tone. She tried to sound strong and clear, but her fear of inciting another adverse reaction kept her tone in check. "Please tell me what it is that ails you. We cannot take anybody from Grandmaster Fa and turn them out unassisted. What can we do to help you?"

He gave no answer. Lien Hua hung her head and squeezed her eyes shut, surprised when she realized that her patience was beginning to wane.

"Perhaps I am beyond help," finally came the weary, faltering reply. She looked up to him, admittedly more shocked that he had finally spoken than by what he had actually said. But she couldn't risk losing him now.

"What do you mean?"

"It was my negligence - my foolishness - that almost cost this world its savior and its freedom," Raiden continued. Each word sounded like a struggle, like one step closer to giving up on his feeble voice altogether. "This could very well be my comeuppance."

Lien Hua didn't know how to counter this, as she had not been there to witness the thunder god's supposed foolishness in action. She had no idea if there was any truth to his words. But she could also feel sympathy beginning to well up for the broken wretch bemoaning himself in front of her.

"…I cannot tell you whether or not that is true," she said softly. "But if you say it almost came at the gravest of costs… well, then does that not mean such an outcome was ultimately averted?"

For the first time, he turned his head to look directly at her. And for the first time she did not shrink under his gaze.

"Is this world not still free?" she continued, getting off her knees and sitting herself even closer to their guest. "Somewhere along the line, you managed to fix your mistake. Or else I doubt we would be sitting here having the conversation we are now."

Lien Hua smiled warmly, hoping her words were having some effect and that he would do the same. He didn't return the gesture, but she watched him divert his gaze downward as he appeared to mull her words over.

"Maybe," he muttered. "But there is no doubt in my mind that the Elder Gods will not hesitate to hold this against me for as long as they can."

"Let them do as they wish," Lien Hua interjected. She could feel heat rushing to her face as she caught herself engaging in the dangerous act of slandering the name of the Elder Gods, but she couldn't stop herself. "When they have risked everything for their realm, then they can pass their petty judgment."

She saw Raiden's mouth partly drop open at her sudden display of indignation. For a short instant, she thought she could see a hint of a smirk tug at the corner of his lips. But it could've been a trick of the flame's jumping light, and she had no time to discern for sure what she had seen before he turned away from her again. But his expression certainly didn't seem as weighed down as before.

She could feel the pressure in her chest alleviate as her hope rekindled, but she was still at a loss for what to do next. She looked around, for what she didn't know, but trying to stall on the off-chance Hui Chao decided to come in and interrupt them. Such an option didn't seem likely, however, and so with a sigh, Lien Hua set her hand on the ground, inconspicuously sliding it over until it barely touched the thunder god's own. When she sensed him picking his head back up to look at her, she closed her eyes and put her hand on top of his.

"What is this?" she heard him ask. She opened her eyes and saw him staring at her strangely. It was the first time she had a full view of his face, and she immediately realized that in a past where his visage wasn't battered the way it was now, he was more than likely remarkably handsome. But it still didn't motivate her any more to do what she felt she must.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Lord Raiden," she stuttered, placing her other hand on his cheek. "It is under Hui Chao's orders."

She caught a glimpse of the bewildered look he gave her before she pressed her lips to his cheek. She didn't expect him to raise his other hand and push her back so harshly.

"Please do not do that," he reprimanded her sternly, instilling fear that she had just undone the progress she had made.

"Lord Raiden, I must," she pleaded. "Hui Chao says your skin cannot take the needle until…"

She tried to read his expression as she trailed off, but his stony countenance was difficult to decipher. She averted her gaze to the ground, ashamed and wishing she could just leave the room already. She almost gave up and acted on her desire before she felt a hand come up to pull her chin back; it took a moment for her to recognize that their guest had taken it upon himself to return her gesture. She felt warm lips on her own, and she froze, completely at a loss for how to react. She sat rigidly still until he pulled away.

Again his expression was a mystery to decode. But she knew every moment she put off the inevitable was another moment her teacher couldn't help him, and so, shaking from nerves, Lien Hua pushed her saffron robe partly off her shoulder and moved in closer. When their mouths met again, she could feel the cut that marred his bottom lip, and though she hated herself for it, she shivered with repulsion. She fumbled awkwardly with her hands, settling for resting them around his broad shoulders as he loosely embraced her. She remained in his hold for a minute or so, unsure of what else to do. Guessing wildly, she dropped one hand to his torso, surprised to feel the hard muscle underneath the fabric. Absentmindedly, she ran her hand back over a second time, landing on a particularly nasty bruise, and he hissed and drew back, dropping his arms and startling her.

"I'm sorry!" she cried out, watching him attempt to recover from the contact. She hesitated to try and comfort him, not willing to risk hitting another sore spot.

"It's… it's fine," he replied weakly, holding his hand over his abdomen and turning to give her a feeble smile. Again she looked away briefly. When she looked back, he had returned his attention to the lantern. She took the opportunity while he was distracted to come closer again, surprised once more when he placed a hand on her chest to stop her.

"It's enough," he told her, looking her in the eye. This close, she could see small crescents of light blue in his irises that hadn't been there before, distracting her from his arm circling around her shoulders. He pulled the blanket back up, tugging some of it out to cover her lap.

She watched dumbfounded as he pulled her in and closed his eyes, audibly blowing a satisfied-sounding stream of air from his nose. When she realized that he sought no more activity, she relaxed, turning to grab the tea cup and handing it to him. He took it graciously, nodding to her before taking a sip. He pulled her robes back over her shoulder, turning back to the lantern.

Lien Hua couldn't help herself from smiling; it seemed her words had been enough to accomplish her goal. She struggled to put into speech her gratitude to the deity, but stopped when she realized it was not the time to make it about her.

So she leaned into his shoulder and was quiet. The only sound in the room from that point was the infrequent sips he took from his cup.

* * *

There was a knock on the wooden framework supporting the screens surrounding the room. The door slid open to reveal an expectant Hui Chao poking her head in.

"If I may?" the elder croaked, straining to see in the low light, although she had brought a second lantern with her. Lien Hua whipped her head around to look at her mentor. Slightly embarrassed, she quickly lifted Raiden's arm off of her shoulder, giving him back his portion of the blanket and brushing off her robes as she stood up.

"Of course," she blurted out, walking over to the door, but not before glancing back to the thunder god. She could see a hint of a smirk on his lips before she turned around to make her departure. Her teacher, however, held her in place before she could do so.

"Did it work?" she whispered, craning to hear her student's answer.

"I… I think so," Lien Hua replied, not willing to go into detail regarding their encounter (or lack thereof). Either way, Hui Chao seemed pleased as she nodded.

"I knew it," she said, seemingly more as a compliment to herself than to Lien Hua. "All he needed was a pretty girl's company."

Blushing, Lien Hua hastily gathered herself and left.


	4. Chapter 4

"Tell me, Protector," Hui Chao remarked off-handedly as she focused on a detail on her client's left shoulder. "Where is Fa now?"

She had finished most of the outline work on his back already. Much to her agreement, his skin had finally given way to the needle, letting blood so rich in oxygen it was almost clear red spill out the second she prodded him with the tip. From there, the preparatory work she needed to do had gotten accomplished in a little under an hour. She had now begun her color work, painstakingly filling in each deep black line she had placed with precision. Even better, Raiden did not fidget or squirm once during the entire process, to her satisfaction.

"Just outside of Zhu Zin," he answered good-naturedly, not stirring as Hui Chao continued her work.

A raspy cackle escaped the old woman's throat as she temporarily removed the needle to gather more pigment.

"Is that so?" she remarked, returning to his shoulder blade. "That is good, that is good; then he and the others have quite a bit of time before the Han armies make their way over there. Heaven knows the same cannot be said for us."

"Oh?" Raiden responded, his eyes closed as the needle scratched into the deepest layer of his skin, although it did not affect him.

"Yes, it is a shame," Hui Chao continued, not really sounding all that remorseful. "The Han have been trying to eradicate all traces of Vajrayana temples since they took over; we are the last of our kind out here."

"Why do you not attempt to relocate, then?" he inquired. He heard her chortle.

"My days are numbered as it is," she said, wiping blood off her canvas. "Lien Hua and the others may relocate if forced to. But I know many of them will stay. Fling themselves on the sword if they must."

He was silent.

"Me, I've lived a fulfilling life," she prattled on. "I've helped everybody I could. I can go knowing I've done my share in the mortal plane."

She couldn't see the sad smile cross Raiden's face where she was sitting.

"That is very admirable, Hui Chao," he admitted quietly. "I wish I could say the same for myself."

For a moment, he felt no needle in his back, prompting him to look over his shoulder to see what had caused the old master to stop.

"Now you listen here," Hui Chao began sternly, pointing the bloody tip of the needle in his direction as she spoke. "Unlike little old me, there is no end in sight for you. Is this world not still young? Humanity is nothing more than a blink of the eye to you, is it not?"

Surprised but slightly amused, Raiden raised an eyebrow in the old woman's direction.

"I suppose so," he answered simply.

"Why do you have the job you do, Raiden?" Hui Chao inquired sharply.

"Because it was offered to me by the Elder Gods," he said.

"And why did you take it?"

"Because…" he started, thinking his answer over carefully. "Because I wanted to see Earthrealm stay safe."

"Then you have already done more than your share for the mortals inhabiting this realm," Hui Chao reasoned. "It's still much too early for that defeatist attitude. Especially when you have not yet been defeated."

The skin around her eyes crinkled before her mouth could catch up with a smile.

"Now turn around," she demanded, dismissing his reaction with a wave of her hand. "I'm not done."

Smiling, Raiden nodded and turned back to the lantern. Hui Chao allowed her eyes to focus back on the patch she had left off on; hand steady, she placed four dots within the spokes of the windmill pattern at the back of his neck.

* * *

About an hour later, he felt her strokes began to taper off around the back of his left elbow. Within a few minutes, she stopped, wiped off the blood that spilled from her last etching, and leaned back to study her composition.

"Ah," he heard her sigh with an approving tone. Hui Chao set her needle down on the straw mat, craning forward and pushing herself up on her ancient knees before standing on her feet.

"Lien Hua!" she called out, her cacophonous voice ringing sharply throughout the temple halls. "Lien Hua, come in here!"

In the few minutes it took before light feet could be heard scuttling into the hallway outside, Hui Chao picked up her tools, wrapping them neatly in her bamboo mat. The younger monk slid the door open, bowing before entering the room.

"Yes, Master Hui Chao?" she greeted her teacher.

"Come take a look," Hui Chao directed her student, waving her over to where their guest sat peacefully next to the lamp, the light finally faltering into a dim imitation of what it was before.

Lien Hua approached both figures quietly, straining to view the tattoo in the dark room. She began to make out the dark patch of patterns that crept across his left shoulder, extending across his back and down his arm. Stormy, tumultuous waves spilled upwards along his triceps from his elbow, out of which a serpentine creature seemed to emerge, wrapping around his upper arm and curling the upper part of its body around a lotus decorated with three black tomoe. The waves rolled across his shoulder into a scene of steadier waters near his backbone, above which peaceful clouds had been etched into the base of his neck. At the nape, a faint outline of a heavenly palm could be seen descending from the clouds; on the hand itself was a clockwise swastika adorned with four dots, the symbol of eternality and well-being that seemed to still the raging waves below.

"Well?" Lien Hua heard her teacher prod her, snapping her out of her inspection. "It is satisfactory, do you not agree?"

Lien Hua then realized that it was not her teacher who needed to hear her opinion, but Raiden, who could not see her work for himself.

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "It is perfect."

Lien Hua thought she caught a glimpse of him glancing furtively behind his back, perhaps at her. She couldn't catch his expression before he turned back around, but she did see his striking irises, completely filled with electric blue. Hui Chao slowly approached him from behind, laying a feeble, wrinkled hand on his right shoulder.

"It is done," she told him. "You have spilled more than enough of your share of blood for everyone."

* * *

Outside, the snow continued to fall silently. Soft hues of blue blanketed the landscape, lighter where the heaps of ice caught the light of the yellowing moon. The lantern Hui Chao held with her was the only spot of orange that punctuated the darkness of twilight, although insignificantly so. She and Lien Hua stood underneath the overhang of the temple, standing across from the thunder god, whom they had given an extra robe to drape across his shoulders to protect him and the design from the elements.

"Give my regards to Fa when you see him," Hui Chao instructed the deity, who nodded to her in acknowledgement.

"Of course," he responded. Smiling, Hui Chao bowed deeply. She handed the lantern to Lien Hua, turning around and tugging her own robes more tightly around her neck as she walked back into the temple to escape the cold.

Lien Hua stared at her teacher until the elder disappeared into the darkness of the monastery. When she vanished, it still took Lien Hua a moment before she could turn around to face the god alone. Even then, she kept her eyes low.

"I wish you the best of luck," she said softly. "I hope your friends make a speedy recovery, as well."

She didn't hear a response, and wondered if maybe he had been drowned out by the howling wind. Cautiously, she brought her gaze back up to check. The light from the lantern wasn't nearly strong enough to illuminate his visage. All she saw were small slivers of blue highlighting parts of his features, but his expression remained obscured. She didn't have time to scrutinize him more closely before she felt a hand on her shoulder. Lien Hua almost thought it was her teacher's before she looked down at it and saw it was much younger and larger than Hui Chao's withered extremity. She looked back up, startled to see that Raiden's face had come into much clearer view in the light of the lamp.

"Thank you," he said in a low voice, dropping his hand to her arm, where it lingered momentarily. Surprisingly, Lien Hua did not experience an adverse reaction to his touch like she had before, and at this she could feel another blush sweep across her countenance.

She only nodded in response. He paused, seeming to observe her for another second before he finally dropped his hand, stepping backwards into deeper snow and shadows. Only his hair reflected the glow of the moon overhead.

She knew he was leaving soon. But formality had always been, and still was, Lien Hua's priority when dealing with outsiders. She bowed, expecting to see the deity when she stood back up. But she had only just dipped down when she heard the rumble of thunder sounding in the distance.

She straightened back up, only to see empty space where he had just been standing. Lien Hua glanced around, bewildered at his sudden disappearance, but stopping when another roll of thunder echoed across the mountain.

Lien Hua looked to the sky. Instantly, a bolt of lightning lashed across the atmosphere, away from the monastery and towards the east.

She smiled.

* * *

Author's Notes:

tomoe - swirling dot pattern often seen on the drums accompanying the thunder god Raijin in traditional Japanese art

swastika – originally used in Hindu and Buddhist art to represent anything ranging from the sun to auspiciousness to the Buddha's own footprint/heart

Han – ruling ethnic group during 16th century China (which I'm assuming is somewhat similar to the setting Conquest tried to establish, considering that most canonical material refers to the Great Kung Lao living up to about 500 years before the main timeline) during the Ming Dynasty


End file.
